Strike: Gov. Al-Makura ready to yield to NUT’s demands – Commissioner

Strike: Gov. Al-Makura ready to yield to NUT’s demands – Commissioner

Wednesday, July 20, 2016 11:25 pm


Governor  Tanko Al-Makura

Governor Tanko Al-Makura

The Nasarawa State Government has agreed to implement all the demands raised by the state chapter of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) for the union to call off its one-month strike.

The state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Ahmed Tijjani, made this known to newsmen on Wednesday in Lafia shortly after ending negotiations with representatives of the NUT.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that teachers in the state embarked on the strike on June 1 over salary cuts.

The union is also demanding the transfer of money meant for teachers’ salaries from Ministry of Local Government to State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

Tijjani, who led the government negotiation team, said that the meeting with the NUT was fruitful as positive resolutions were adopted to pave way for the suspension of the strike action and allow teachers to return to classrooms.

“We met with the state leaders of the NUT, we discussed and arrived at a very successful conclusion,” said the commissioner.

Tijjani explained that one of the agreements reached during the meeting was the stoppage of payment of salaries in percentages and the return of teachers’ salaries to SUBEB as demanded by the union.

“We have agreed to ensure that their salaries go through SUBEB as they requested. Of course even before now, we have been passing their salaries to SUBEB.

“On the other demand, we told them that we have no problem stopping payment in percentages and keeping the money till we can pay them 100 per cent full salary,” he added.

However, he revealed that some members of the NUT at the grassroots kicked against the idea of paying a full month salary for two months and supported the idea of percentage payment to meet ends.

“If they can reconcile their differences between themselves, we at the other side have no problem at all either to pay them in percentage or when it becomes 100 per cent.

“So we have agreed on the suspension of the strike but you know they have to go back and discuss with their members first,” the commissioner said. (NAN)


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